As I mentioned earlier, in my reading I found that there is a separatist group in Darjeeling that is demanding the formation of a separate Gorkha homeland. Periodically, this group calls a bandh to put pressure on the government to resolve the issue. A bandh is a political strike that stops all traffic. While Sikkim is not party to this dispute, the road from the airport in Bagdogra or the train station in Siligari leads to both Darjeeling and Sikkim. So if there is a bandh in Darjeeling, you cannot get to Sikkim.
Since it is impossible to predict when there will or will not be a bandh, we need to have some contingency plans. This is one of those times when I wish my schedule were more flexible. But we have fixed dates in and out of Bangkok and need to work within that framework.
Sometimes, the separatist groups names a date when they are going to have a bandh. In this case we might know far enough ahead of time to rearrange some of our itinerary as needed. But other times they just call a bandh with little warning.
So, where can we be flexible? The current plan calls for flying from Bangkok through Kolkata, on to Bagdogra, then drive to Sikkim and Darjeeling for 10 days. Next, a flight back to Kolkata and four nights there before returning to Bangkok for five days. So we have three puzzle pieces: 5 nights in Bangkok, 10 nights in Sikkim/Darjeeling, and 4 nights in Kolkata. Those could be re-ordered in a number of ways. We would need to have flexibility in our hotel reservations (and I’ll be checking on that).
Another option is to change locations if there is a bandh. I’ve already researched Assam. Perhaps we could go there instead. This would require a flight from Kolkata to Guwahati instead of Bagdogra. Of course, it would also require both canceling hotel reservations in Sikkim and Darjeeling and making new ones in Assam as well as changing our flights out of Kolkata.
But when do you decide? A month ahead of the trip? Weeks ahead? Can I wait until I arrive in Bangkok to change plans? Until Kolkata? Until Bagdogra? I guess that depends in part on how willing hotels are to change dates or refund deposits. It also depends on how long we are willing to wait to know where we are going. While I’ll gather all of the information I can when I start making reservations, I’ll have to make that call as the time gets closer.
Technorati Tags: bandh, contingency plans, darjeeling, independent travel research, kolkata, Sikkim
So how does one get from Seattle to Sikkim?
Starting from SIkkim, I note there is no airport in Sikkim. The closest airport is Bagdogra. It’s about a 4- 4.5 hour drive by Jeep from Bagdogra to Gangtok. It’s less than 70 miles “as the crow flies” but the winding road through the mountains makes it both longer and slower. The closest international airport to Bagdogra is Kolkata.
Kolkata has good international connections from major cities in Asia. Since we use either Bangkok or Singapore as our entry point to Asia, I checked flights from Singapore to Kolkata and from Bangkok to Kolkata. As usual, Thai Air out of Bangkok is much less expensive than Singapore Air out of Singapore.
Our plan is to fly from Seattle to Bangkok (via Tokyo), arriving about midnight. We’d like to get to Sikkim as soon as possible, so we would stay at the Novotel at the Bangkok Airport and fly out the next morning to Kolkata, with the goal of being in Gangtok by nightfall.
The Thai Air flight leaves Bangkok just before midnight, so that won’t work. A bit of checking reveals that both Kingfisher Air and Jet Airways fly between Bangkok and Kolkata and between Kolkata and Bagdogra. A look at the schedules makes Jet Airways the winner. The Kingfisher flight gets to Bagdogra at 4:25 pm, too late to set out for Gangtok. The Jet Airways schedule looks perfect: we’d leave Bangkok at 9:20 am, arrive in Kolkata at 10:20 am; leave Kolkata at 12:20 pm and arrive in Bagdogra at 1:20 pm. The last bit of driving will likely be in the dark, but that seems not too bad. One of my Fodors friends notes that there is a helicopter connection of Gangtok. It’s difficult to get, and I won’t count on it, but it takes 45 minutes rather than 4 hours. I’ll certainly see if I can book it.
Each move from one location to another is a long drive, 3 to 5 hours via jeep. So for that reason as well as that we like to spend some time in each place we visit, I want to minimize the number of moves we make. I’m sure the scenery will be spectacular; I’m also sure the ride will be uncomfortable.
On the way back out, we’ll fly from Bagdogra to Kolkata and spend a few days there, then onward to Bangkok for some time with friends there, then back home to Seattle.
So the transport looks like it will all work… as long as there isn’t a bandh.
Technorati Tags: Airlines, Asia Travel, calcutta, Independent Travel, india, international travel, kolkata, seattle, Sikkim
